2 - Southpoint Sun
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
TWEPI awards ‘Spark’ grants to local organizations Bank Theatre, Rotary Club partner for Spirit Walks By Mark Ribble LEAMINGTON — The trails of Point Pelee National Park hold a lot of stories and secrets, and those trails will soon become a stage for local actors to tell those stories. The Bank Theatre has partnered with the Leamington Rotary Club and Parks Canada to present Spirit Walks inside the park as early as this spring. The idea was first discussed at a Rotary Club meeting this past fall, as the club was looking for alternative ways to raise funds with COVID-19 restrictions still in place. They reached out to newly elected Bank Theatre President, Corey Robertson, who then took advantage of the Sparks Grant and Mentorship program offered by Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI). The grants were offered in October, so the timing was just right. “Both the Bank Theatre and Rotary Club happen to have people who are great at applying for grants,” said Robertson. “I think we hit it out of the park.” Last week, it was announced that The Bank Theatre’s submission, along with those of Billy Alexander from Caldwell
First Nation (see story below), and Leslie Meloche from Walnut Grove B&B, were the three grant recipients. They will each receive $3,000 and a tourism mentorship to take their tourism ideas to a different level. For Rotary’s Char Houle, the Bank Theatre was a perfect fit for their idea. “We immediately thought that if anyone could pull this off, it would be them,” she said. “We’re excited about what’s to come.” Houle and Robertson met on Saturday at the Point Pelee Cemetery trail to get a feeling for the atmosphere and toss around a few ideas. The Rotary Club will handle the logistics, the ticket sales and will be in charge of guiding these tours through the trails. The theatre troupe will be tasked with researching, outfitting and acting out stories from Point Pelee’s past. “We’ve been fortunate to have Meghan Ruston from Point Pelee National Park involved in the planning stages and she will provide some great history for us to draw on,” said Robertson. With lots of ideas still in the works, Houle is glad they have
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some time, but says they are aiming to have things ready for a spring launch. “We hope to be up and running in the spring,” she said. For Robertson, it’s a question of getting the stories and assigning different stories to different actors. “We’ll have actors ready for certain roles and tell the stories depending upon the actors’ availability,” he said. “That way, people will be able to experience a different story each time they come.” As rehearsals progress and ticket sales get rolling, each of these two community organizations will have more information available. Keep checking banktheatre.com or portal.clubrunner.ca/643 for more details as they arise. The ‘Spark’ Mentorships and Grants Program is a partnership between the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab, Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation, TWEPI, Libro Credit Char Houle, left, of the Leamington Rotary Club, and Corey Robertson, Union and WEtech Alli- President of The Bank Theatre, met at the trail leading to the Point Pelee ance. Cemetery on Sunday to discuss their upcoming joint tourism venture, doSun photo “With the advent of the ing Spirit Walks at Point Pelee National Park.
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pandemic, the tourism industry has changed drastically over the past year,” said TWEPI CEO Gordon Orr. “Investing in this program in Windsor Essex, two years after its provincial launch here was an easy decision, and
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Caldwell First Nation planning culinary events By Mark Ribble LEAMINGTON — Another recipient of the Spark Mentorship Grant is Caldwell First Nation, represented by world-renowned Indigenous Chef, Billy Alexander. The Caldwell First Nation will provide handson culinary experiences that focus on Indigenous food, culture and community. The Caldwell went through the process, which included recording a one-minute video presentation, written grant application and a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style, three minute presentation. Along with Caldwell First Nation, the other two recipients were The Bank Theatre and Walnut Grove B&B. As with the Bank Theatre’s plans, the Caldwell plans will also include Point Pelee National Park. “We look at this as an opportunity to showcase our food through a food event, but also transform it into a learning event,” says Alexander. The chef is still a few months away from opening the Three Fires Indigenous Restaurant on the location of the former
Happy Snapper, but he is excited about this new venture. “Indigenous culinary is really inspired by a relationship between us and the land, said Alexander. “We use common ingredients, as well as some ingredients you may not be familiar with.” The Caldwell First Nation already has an economic development sector that was exploring different ways to share their culture with the community and this latest development will bring that to the forefront. “We are honoured to be chosen for this,” said Alexander. “It will be a fun environment for people to learn about our culture.” Although all of the details haven’t been nailed down, Alexander is confident that people will sign up and enjoy what they have to offer. It will be a multihour experience that will include a traditional indigenous meal, but also learn how to cook it alongside Alexander, who will be there to guide them through it. The
hands-on experience will include lots of games, interactions and fun. “Guests who sign up will get a guided tour of our culture, an introduction as to who we are, and learn ways to interact with the First Nation,” said Alexander. It’s expected that the culinary experiences will alternate between locations within Point Pelee National Park and at Three Fires Restaurant, once it’s up and running. Check out their website at www.caldwellfirstnation.ca
CHEF BILLY ALEXANDER
